Retail & Distribution Activist: Bulletin of Socialist Party members in USDAW
October 2008 Issue 11
Usdaw leaders shaken by election results
Socialist Party member Robbie Segal shook the entire shopworkers' union USDAW by gaining 40% of the vote for General Secretary in the ballot result announced today. Robbie is a Tesco worker who on shoe-string resources with a tiny band of activists in a David and Goliath battle faced the entire USDAW official machine. The whole right wing union full time bureaucracy was mobilised to crush her, but she still managed to gain over 18,000 votes winning the moral victory by far.
The incumbent, John Hannett, had the entire union behind him – except the members. He appears in the union journal and other union publications every month. Robbie was virtually unknown to most of the members other than those that have known her first-hand as a fighter over the years. As an example, three officials, one of whom a EC member, were flown into the Central London branch meeting to argue against one Socialist Party member to secure the nomination of all the London branches for Hannett. But Robbie’s programme clearly appealed to the members by calling for an £8 minimum wage for all, no to partnership between the union and the employers- as there is in Tesco, for democracy within the union, and for an alternative to New Labour for ordinary people to have a party that genuinely represents them. Robbie also pledged to reject the £100,000 Hannett took and to continue on her Tesco wage.
The result is in no way a ringing endorsement of the current leadership. The low turnout of 13.2% reflected the fact that Hannett did his very best to subdue the issue, by calling a summer election, calling no debates with Robbie and producing no other material other than the ballot paper and a letter to the branches demanding their support. So Hannett's 7.8% support in USDAW must be seen as a massive vote of no confidence in his performance in the job.
This result, for a clearly socialist candidate in the USDAW General Secretary election is testimony to the changing mood in the unions. USDAW has for many years been the bastion of the right wing with an avid New Labourite leadership. John Hannett pulled all the stops out to use the union bureaucratic machine in his favour for this election. Robbie proved his leadership severely lacking.
This article first appeared in The Socialist. www.socialistparty.org.uk
John Hannett – you are doing well
After a week of turmoil on the financial markets, it about time we looked again at our general secretary’s income. Inflation for the basic necessities is going through the roof, so John certainly needs a ‘substantial increase’. The recent copy of Arena publishes the details of the general secretary’s income.
Income National insurance Pension Car TOTAL
September 2008 £81,742 £9,801 £16,389 £6,532 £114,464
September 2007 £78,050 £10,053 £15,172 £5,494 £108,769
No mention of the GS election?
Why is the result of the General Secretary election not posted on the Usdaw website? Can you help us? Is the conspiracy to keep the 40% vote for Robbie a secret? In the EC minutes it mentions the election but again no figures. Why is there a campaign of silence?
Campaigning for a decent living wage
‘The £8 minimum wage is unrealistic.’ This was one the main arguments out of the mouths of my opponents during the general secretary election campaign. However, they never told us what would be a ‘realistic’ minimum wage.
Every wage claim submitted by Usdaw asks for a substantial pay rise. It is never explained what a substantial pay rise is nor an amount mention.
Is the Tesco pay rise for their retail workers of 3.8% a substantial rise? Of course not! The general secretary’s pay (not including the other benefits) increased by £3,692. Now that would be a substantial increase for our members in retail.
The secret election
Since the announcement of the result for Usdaw’s general secretary election, I have been asked numerous times why there was such a poor turnout. All the comments from friends and foes considered my vote good to excellent and John Hannett’s very poor.
Of course, Hannett’s one comfort was that he won. With the whole fulltime machine supporting him, he believed they would get out his vote which he did but it was only a fraction of the membership. Some of the officials commented to me privately that they believed the letter sent by him to Usdaw employees, which contained a near instruction to ring him and pledge their allegiance, was a form of bullying. His undemocratic and unfair methods at the start of the campaign repulsed many of the officials and members
There were a number of reasons for the low turnout. When John Hannett raised the election at the EC, I complained that if it was being held over the summer period and this would decrease the numbers voting. I was proved correct.
Another factor why so few of our members voted was because they had no idea that an election was taking place. It was truly a secret election – the Union’s members had no idea that there was an election until the ballot paper dropped through their letterbox.
There was a single letter to the branches, which is attended by a mere handful of members, informing the branch of the election. There was no mention of the election in the members’ magazine Arena which is delivered to every member’s home. There was not even a mention in the activists’ journal Network. Clearly Hannett expected the fewer members knew about his opponent’s programme and strategy all the better for him and would give him an advantage in the contest. The blame for the low turnout is the fault of Hannett’s unfair running of the election,
In fact Hannett’s whole strategy was flawed. However the real weakness of his campaign was that his promise for more of the same never found an echo with the bulk of our members. What has the Union really achieved over the five years of Hannett’s control? In the present economic crisis, many members fear the effect of the economic crisis on their living standards. They will be demanding wage increases to defend their living standards. In response to my demand for a £8 minimum wage, the officials called it ‘unrealistic’. What is realistic? The union normally submits a claim for a substantial increase. What is a substantial increase? The only thing unrealistic is members are expected to survive on or just above the minimum wage.
If Hannett had conducted a serious campaign to increase wages then the members would have voted in their droves for him. But constrained by the Union’s support for New Labour’s pro-employer policies meant that a real campaign against the big retail companies is a massive ‘no no’. With capitalism in crisis, what can Hannett and his New Labour supporters really offer the hard working and low paid members of our union.
At the start of the campaign, I suggested the Executive Council should write guidelines for the election that would take the power away from the incumbent to dictate the timing and conduct of the election. This the EC rejected. However my vote has frightened the bureaucracy. They could have lost the ballot so now they will panic and try to change the rules to ensure the bureaucracy can never be threatened again by a real challenger. We will have to be on our guard against attacks on the democracy in our Union.
After my 40% vote, the members should be aware that there is a strong possibility that right wing leaders of our Union will launch attacks against those officials who never gave their support to John Hannett. It is rumoured that a list was kept of the officials that rung pledging their support for him.
Finally after what has turned into a rather curious campaign, it appears that the union is trying to keep the result secret. The result has not been published on the Usdaw’s website and even in the EC minutes the result was not published. Curious, to say the least!
Email addresses needed
If you have a colleague who would like to receive a regular copy of the Activist or other materials to democratise the our union then send their e-mail address to shopworker@socialistparty.org.uk
Showing posts with label living wage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label living wage. Show all posts
Saturday, 4 October 2008
Monday, 23 June 2008
The Activist - Issue 10, June 08
Usdaw needs a fighting leadership
Socialist Party member Robbie Segal is standing for general secretary of the shop and distribution workers’ union USDAW.
Why are you standing?
The current general secretary, John Hannett, told the union’s executive council (EC) meeting in May that he was standing for re-election. It was in ‘any other business’, it was not an itemised agenda item. The election is to be held over the summer, when workers are on holiday.
The election will cost the union an enormous amount of extra money. I argued that the election should be held at the same time as the presidential, EC and divisional councillors’ elections later this year. Our low-paid members have just had an increase in their subscriptions. The extra money earned will be squandered on his unnecessary and opportunistic election.
John Hannett’s campaign is engineered to run roughshod over democracy, allowing very little time for other candidates to organise, to get nominated or to raise finance. It shows the real weakness of the bureaucracy at the top. Now the officials will be going round branches and distribution centres to persuade branch officers to nominate John Hannett.
I feel that it is necessary for a candidate on the left to stand up for democracy. Union members in retail need the return of their right to vote on their terms and conditions, rather than having deals done with the bosses over our heads. We need power returned to elected lay members on the executive council.
What do you feel about the union’s ‘partnership’ deal with Tesco?
Our members demand national free collective bargaining rather than partnership that has negated the power of the union. There has to be principled negotiations rather than class collaboration. You have to have that line in the sand that you do not cross over as a negotiator. You must put terms and conditions deals to the whole membership. What in real terms has partnership really done for us? The only one who seems to have benefited from partnership is Tesco.
What is your attitude to the Labour Party now?
Labour’s leaders have abandoned any pretence of representing working-class people. Despite John Hannett’s continued mantra on the achievements of the Labour Party, shop workers are worse off than ever with gas and electric prices going up by 17% and 15% just this year. We work hard stacking shelves and wasting away on checkouts and how are we repaid? By the bosses getting larger pay-rises while ours dwindle!
We need a party that genuinely represents our views and that won’t be afraid to be the voice for our anger. This is why Socialist Party members are involved with the Campaign for a New Workers Party (CNWP).
What will be your initial campaign?
I will launch a campaign to fight for a living minimum wage of £8 per hour for all retail workers from 16 years to retirement age. I will fight to link pensions to earnings. £8 is the European Union poverty threshold below which you are regarded as working poor. Why should we receive benefits from the state and a poverty wage from big business when they are making enormous profits?
I am standing for a general secretary on a workers’ wage. I reject John Hannett’s wage and benefits totalling over £100,000. I will take the wage that I earn as a Tesco worker and all necessary expenses will be open to scrutiny so that any member can check them.
How can you sit on the low pay commission drawing that sort of wage when your own union members in retail earn barely above the national minimum wage?
This article first appeared in The Socialist. www.socialistparty.org.uk
Robbie Segal calls Shop Steward Conference
Robbie Segal, candidate for Usdaw general secretary, has announced that she and others are calling a conference to discuss the direction that the current leadership is taking Usdaw. The Partnership strategy has proved to be a disaster for our members. The leadership has allowed many of our best terms and conditions in our best agreements to be eroded.
Join the fight back. Come to the Conference and help change the direction of Usdaw.
If you are interested in attending the conference or want to participate in the debate then send your email to robbie@robbiesegal.org or mob-07776195563
The conference will take place on Saturday 20 September in London
Nominate Robbie Segal for General Secretary
Dear Usdaw member, I am asking for your nomination for the position of Usdaw’s general secretary. I have been a trade union member since the age of 19. I have worked for Tesco stores in Folkestone for the past 22 years and I have been an active shop steward for 21 years. I have held senior positions at branch, regional and national levels of USDAW. I have served on the EC for nine years.
Name: Robbie Segal
Trade in which Nominee is employed:
Retail
Address: 29 Hawkins Road, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 4JA
Occupation: Wages Clerk
Nominee’s Branch: H084
Age: 59
Nominee’s Membership Number: 00098216
Name and address of Employer:
Tesco Stores Ltd, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 4QT
If you have a colleague who would like to receive
a regular copy of the Activist or be part of Robbie’s campaign
then send their
email address to shopworker@socialistparty.org.uk
Socialist Party member Robbie Segal is standing for general secretary of the shop and distribution workers’ union USDAW.
Why are you standing?
The current general secretary, John Hannett, told the union’s executive council (EC) meeting in May that he was standing for re-election. It was in ‘any other business’, it was not an itemised agenda item. The election is to be held over the summer, when workers are on holiday.
The election will cost the union an enormous amount of extra money. I argued that the election should be held at the same time as the presidential, EC and divisional councillors’ elections later this year. Our low-paid members have just had an increase in their subscriptions. The extra money earned will be squandered on his unnecessary and opportunistic election.
John Hannett’s campaign is engineered to run roughshod over democracy, allowing very little time for other candidates to organise, to get nominated or to raise finance. It shows the real weakness of the bureaucracy at the top. Now the officials will be going round branches and distribution centres to persuade branch officers to nominate John Hannett.
I feel that it is necessary for a candidate on the left to stand up for democracy. Union members in retail need the return of their right to vote on their terms and conditions, rather than having deals done with the bosses over our heads. We need power returned to elected lay members on the executive council.
What do you feel about the union’s ‘partnership’ deal with Tesco?
Our members demand national free collective bargaining rather than partnership that has negated the power of the union. There has to be principled negotiations rather than class collaboration. You have to have that line in the sand that you do not cross over as a negotiator. You must put terms and conditions deals to the whole membership. What in real terms has partnership really done for us? The only one who seems to have benefited from partnership is Tesco.
What is your attitude to the Labour Party now?
Labour’s leaders have abandoned any pretence of representing working-class people. Despite John Hannett’s continued mantra on the achievements of the Labour Party, shop workers are worse off than ever with gas and electric prices going up by 17% and 15% just this year. We work hard stacking shelves and wasting away on checkouts and how are we repaid? By the bosses getting larger pay-rises while ours dwindle!
We need a party that genuinely represents our views and that won’t be afraid to be the voice for our anger. This is why Socialist Party members are involved with the Campaign for a New Workers Party (CNWP).
What will be your initial campaign?
I will launch a campaign to fight for a living minimum wage of £8 per hour for all retail workers from 16 years to retirement age. I will fight to link pensions to earnings. £8 is the European Union poverty threshold below which you are regarded as working poor. Why should we receive benefits from the state and a poverty wage from big business when they are making enormous profits?
I am standing for a general secretary on a workers’ wage. I reject John Hannett’s wage and benefits totalling over £100,000. I will take the wage that I earn as a Tesco worker and all necessary expenses will be open to scrutiny so that any member can check them.
How can you sit on the low pay commission drawing that sort of wage when your own union members in retail earn barely above the national minimum wage?
This article first appeared in The Socialist. www.socialistparty.org.uk
Robbie Segal calls Shop Steward Conference
Robbie Segal, candidate for Usdaw general secretary, has announced that she and others are calling a conference to discuss the direction that the current leadership is taking Usdaw. The Partnership strategy has proved to be a disaster for our members. The leadership has allowed many of our best terms and conditions in our best agreements to be eroded.
Join the fight back. Come to the Conference and help change the direction of Usdaw.
If you are interested in attending the conference or want to participate in the debate then send your email to robbie@robbiesegal.org or mob-07776195563
The conference will take place on Saturday 20 September in London
Nominate Robbie Segal for General Secretary
Dear Usdaw member, I am asking for your nomination for the position of Usdaw’s general secretary. I have been a trade union member since the age of 19. I have worked for Tesco stores in Folkestone for the past 22 years and I have been an active shop steward for 21 years. I have held senior positions at branch, regional and national levels of USDAW. I have served on the EC for nine years.
Name: Robbie Segal
Trade in which Nominee is employed:
Retail
Address: 29 Hawkins Road, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 4JA
Occupation: Wages Clerk
Nominee’s Branch: H084
Age: 59
Nominee’s Membership Number: 00098216
Name and address of Employer:
Tesco Stores Ltd, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 4QT
If you have a colleague who would like to receive
a regular copy of the Activist or be part of Robbie’s campaign
then send their
email address to shopworker@socialistparty.org.uk
Thursday, 12 June 2008
The struggle for a living wage
By Robbie Segal
(Usdaw General Secretary candidate)
The minimum wage for many of our members is an important issue. Shop workers are low paid and are paid the minimum wage or just above. As a Tesco worker I know what it is like to live on little more than the minimum wage year after year.
As part of my election programme I have called for an hourly rate of £8 per hour. At present, the minimum wage is £5.52 per hour if you are 22 and over - a 36.5 hour week gives you a weekly pay of £201.48. For younger workers the rate is even more pitiful. A worker aged 18-21 is on £4.60 per hour and £3.40 per hour for all workers under the age of 18.
Is this enough to live on!?With prices of all the main stable foods rocketing, and fuel for our car and to heat our homes becoming luxury items, the trade unions must intervene to end poverty wages.
For those living on the meagre wages of the National Minimum Wage, it is a disgrace to the fourth richest country in the world. If all those who set the National Minimum Wage had to live on such a wage then they would be the first to shout loudest for a massive increase.
Twenty years ago in Usdaw when the minimum wage debate started, the union agreed to fight for a weekly wage of £120 for a 35 hour week. When the New Labour government came to power, the trade unions compromised on a much lower minimum hourly rate. The National Minimum Wage was introduced in 1999 and was set at £3.60 per hour. For 35 hours pay this worked out at £144 per week. A few quid more than the original demand some 10 years earlier. This compromise meant the National Minimum Wage was a poverty wage.
The government’s increases have been the bench mark for our negotiations. For the companies who only pay pennies above the minimum wage, they have to offer us the same as the minimum wage increase. This year the minimum wage was increased by 3.8%. So let’s see what Tesco, Sainsbury and Morrison offer us!
The Tesco starter rate is £5.94 and that is a mere 42p above the minimum wage and that is one of the best agreements.
The government is squeezing the public sector pay and it won’t be long before the same will be demanded in the private sector. What will our leaders do then? With their partnership strategy and acceptance of such a low minimum wage rate, it will be impossible to mobilise Usdaw members to fight for a few pennies.
One of the criticisms made against me when I demand a decent wage is that the members are apathetic and this is shown by the lack of turn-out in wage ballots. I believe the reason the members don’t vote is because they feel outside the whole wage bargaining process, feel their point of view does not matter anyhow and if they did fight would our leaders be serious about the struggle.
It won’t be an easy campaign to win a decent wage but it is a battle that must be started. Otherwise the millions of retail workers outside the ranks of the trade unions will remain there and the bosses will be laughing for the rest of their lives with the luxuries they receive from the labour of poor retail workers.
I will argue on the EC and at ADM that we start a campaign of mass mobilisation around the £8 per hour demand. I will ask the other unions with members in retail sector to join the struggle. But the one thing I am sure of, it won’t be a campaign giving instructions from the leaders of Usdaw to the our members.
Three of the four largest unions Usdaw, GMB and Unite (TGWU) all have agreements with the big four retailers. The unions should organise a joint national campaign to increase the wages for all retail workers. The unions should launch an extensive campaign of agitation to win retail workers to possible strike action thus ensuring the employers know the unions are really serious this time about fighting for members.. This is why I believe that all the trade unions must unite in a campaign to secure for the low paid a decent, living wage.
(Usdaw General Secretary candidate)
The minimum wage for many of our members is an important issue. Shop workers are low paid and are paid the minimum wage or just above. As a Tesco worker I know what it is like to live on little more than the minimum wage year after year.
As part of my election programme I have called for an hourly rate of £8 per hour. At present, the minimum wage is £5.52 per hour if you are 22 and over - a 36.5 hour week gives you a weekly pay of £201.48. For younger workers the rate is even more pitiful. A worker aged 18-21 is on £4.60 per hour and £3.40 per hour for all workers under the age of 18.
Is this enough to live on!?With prices of all the main stable foods rocketing, and fuel for our car and to heat our homes becoming luxury items, the trade unions must intervene to end poverty wages.
For those living on the meagre wages of the National Minimum Wage, it is a disgrace to the fourth richest country in the world. If all those who set the National Minimum Wage had to live on such a wage then they would be the first to shout loudest for a massive increase.
Twenty years ago in Usdaw when the minimum wage debate started, the union agreed to fight for a weekly wage of £120 for a 35 hour week. When the New Labour government came to power, the trade unions compromised on a much lower minimum hourly rate. The National Minimum Wage was introduced in 1999 and was set at £3.60 per hour. For 35 hours pay this worked out at £144 per week. A few quid more than the original demand some 10 years earlier. This compromise meant the National Minimum Wage was a poverty wage.
The government’s increases have been the bench mark for our negotiations. For the companies who only pay pennies above the minimum wage, they have to offer us the same as the minimum wage increase. This year the minimum wage was increased by 3.8%. So let’s see what Tesco, Sainsbury and Morrison offer us!
The Tesco starter rate is £5.94 and that is a mere 42p above the minimum wage and that is one of the best agreements.
The government is squeezing the public sector pay and it won’t be long before the same will be demanded in the private sector. What will our leaders do then? With their partnership strategy and acceptance of such a low minimum wage rate, it will be impossible to mobilise Usdaw members to fight for a few pennies.
One of the criticisms made against me when I demand a decent wage is that the members are apathetic and this is shown by the lack of turn-out in wage ballots. I believe the reason the members don’t vote is because they feel outside the whole wage bargaining process, feel their point of view does not matter anyhow and if they did fight would our leaders be serious about the struggle.
It won’t be an easy campaign to win a decent wage but it is a battle that must be started. Otherwise the millions of retail workers outside the ranks of the trade unions will remain there and the bosses will be laughing for the rest of their lives with the luxuries they receive from the labour of poor retail workers.
I will argue on the EC and at ADM that we start a campaign of mass mobilisation around the £8 per hour demand. I will ask the other unions with members in retail sector to join the struggle. But the one thing I am sure of, it won’t be a campaign giving instructions from the leaders of Usdaw to the our members.
Three of the four largest unions Usdaw, GMB and Unite (TGWU) all have agreements with the big four retailers. The unions should organise a joint national campaign to increase the wages for all retail workers. The unions should launch an extensive campaign of agitation to win retail workers to possible strike action thus ensuring the employers know the unions are really serious this time about fighting for members.. This is why I believe that all the trade unions must unite in a campaign to secure for the low paid a decent, living wage.
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Usdaw General Secretary Election - Nominate Robbie Segal
• Fight for a living wage
• Against partnership
• Fight for trade union democracy
• A General Secretary on a worker’s wage
Dear Usdaw member,
I am asking for your nomination for the position of Usdaw’s general secretary. I have been a trade union member since the age of 19. I have worked for Tesco stores in Folkestone for the past 22 years and I have been an active shop steward for 21 years. I have held senior positions at branch, regional and national levels of USDAW and served on the EC for 9 years.
A Living Wage: I will launch a campaign to fight for a living minimum wage of £8 per hour for all retail workers, from 16 years to retirement age. I will fight to link pensions to earnings.
Yes to National free collective bargaining - No to Partnership: I will re-establish Usdaw as an independent trade union. I will fight to restore our vote on pay and campaign to resist Tesco’s proposed 2% target for absence.
Fight for Union democracy: I will return power to the Union’s elected lay-member Executive Council and ensure proper EC minutes are produced as agreed by ADM.
For a General Secretary on a worker’s wage: I reject the wage and the benefits totalling over £100,000 that John Hannett, the General Secretary, receives and the General Secretary’s Jaguar Car. I will take the wage that I earn as a Tesco worker and all necessary expenses will be open to scrutiny so that any member can check them. The money released will be used to campaign on our members benefit.
Name:Robbie Segal
Trade in which Nominee is employed: Retail
Address:29 Hawkins Road, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 4JA
Occupation:Wages Clerk
Nominee’s Branch:HO84
Present Age:59
Nominee’s Membership Number 00098216
Name and Address of Employer: Tesco Stores Ltd, Cheriton High Street, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 4QJ
The last date for the return of the nomination paper is 14 July 2008
visit www.robbiesegal.org or email robbie@robbiesegal.org or mob-07776195563
• Against partnership
• Fight for trade union democracy
• A General Secretary on a worker’s wage
Dear Usdaw member,
I am asking for your nomination for the position of Usdaw’s general secretary. I have been a trade union member since the age of 19. I have worked for Tesco stores in Folkestone for the past 22 years and I have been an active shop steward for 21 years. I have held senior positions at branch, regional and national levels of USDAW and served on the EC for 9 years.
A Living Wage: I will launch a campaign to fight for a living minimum wage of £8 per hour for all retail workers, from 16 years to retirement age. I will fight to link pensions to earnings.
Yes to National free collective bargaining - No to Partnership: I will re-establish Usdaw as an independent trade union. I will fight to restore our vote on pay and campaign to resist Tesco’s proposed 2% target for absence.
Fight for Union democracy: I will return power to the Union’s elected lay-member Executive Council and ensure proper EC minutes are produced as agreed by ADM.
For a General Secretary on a worker’s wage: I reject the wage and the benefits totalling over £100,000 that John Hannett, the General Secretary, receives and the General Secretary’s Jaguar Car. I will take the wage that I earn as a Tesco worker and all necessary expenses will be open to scrutiny so that any member can check them. The money released will be used to campaign on our members benefit.
Name:Robbie Segal
Trade in which Nominee is employed: Retail
Address:29 Hawkins Road, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 4JA
Occupation:Wages Clerk
Nominee’s Branch:HO84
Present Age:59
Nominee’s Membership Number 00098216
Name and Address of Employer: Tesco Stores Ltd, Cheriton High Street, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 4QJ
The last date for the return of the nomination paper is 14 July 2008
visit www.robbiesegal.org or email robbie@robbiesegal.org or mob-07776195563
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